There are many ways of getting a great internship; whether you have utilized a contact you already had or taken advantage of your major’s listserv, getting an internship is a great way to get hands-on experience in a field that may serve as a gateway to your future career.
But landing an internship is only half of the battle. What many students don’t realize immediately is that although the idea of an internship is fabulous, balancing your time between work and school can be a stressful undertaking. We all know that the University of Maryland is a great school with challenging work regardless of your major. Throw an internship into the mix, and balancing the workload can become somewhat of an uphill battle. However, if you know the right way to handle it, you can turn those difficulties into a stimulating way to grow and learn.
I am currently undertaking my second internship during school, and through trial and error, have discovered a few guidelines for success:
1. Time management. Practicing effective time management is the most important factor in finding success in school and interning. Making sure you divide your time evenly among your commitments in order to find success is very important. The best way I have found to do this is to keep a comprehensive day-planner in which your meticulously record everything you have to do for both work and school. If you do this, you will literally be able to visually see any scheduling conflicts you may have.
2. Be confident in yourself and your working ability. Even if you are not completely sure what is expected of you in the beginning, be confident in whatever work you produce. Make sure that you are proud of what you put your name on, and it will be reflective in your work, whether it is on target or not.
3. Learn from your mistakes. If something is not correct, ask questions, embrace feedback and learn for next time. You are an intern and mistakes are expected as part of the learning process.
4. Take notes! I know this isn’t class, so note-taking may not be the first thing you think of doing during interning; however, I have found that having a little notebook for your internship can be very beneficial. Not only does it allow you to remember things you otherwise would have forgotten, but if you take the time to write things down, you will never have to ask the same question twice. Instead, you can refer to your notes and find the answer quickly and easily without having to ask for help.
5. Don’t be afraid to speak up—your internship is an important commitment, but school must come first. Make sure your employer knows and respects this, because there may come a day where you cannot work because you have two exams the next day. If you have practiced good time-management, and kept a comprehensive planner, you will be able to let your boss know and take the necessary time to study.
6. Plan in advance. Although the above tip is useful, any employer is not going to appreciate a call the night before saying you can’t come in the following day. Be sure to use your day planner to plan ahead so you can give your employer at least a week or two for a “heads-up” that you need time off for midterms.
If you follow all of these tips, I assure you that you will be able to get as much as possible out of your internship. Although you will be faced with an increased amount of work, the benefits will outweigh the time commitment. Not to mention, your resume will appreciate it too!